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Leagues and Governing Bodies

Lisa Baird Solidifying NWSL's Footing Amid Unprecedented Times

Baird negotiated a deal with the NWSLPA to pay players a full salary even if they sat out '20GETTY IMAGES

NWSL Commissioner Lisa Baird addressed the challenges COVID-19 presented "head on, and under her leadership the NWSL not only became the first professional sports league in the U.S. to return to play during the pandemic, but it staged two separate -- and successful -- tournaments," according to Kevin Baxter of the L.A. TIMES. The league also saw its TV ratings "jump 493%, drawing an average of nearly 463,000 viewers for six broadcasts on CBS and adding corporate sponsors in Google, P&G and Verizon." Additionally, Baird "hammered out a deal" with the NWSLPA that "would pay everyone a full salary whether they played through the pandemic or not and moved forward with plans to add teams" in Louisville, Sacramento and L.A. Baird said, "The people that deserve credit are my owners -- for really getting behind me even when I was asking them to take a leap of faith -- and most importantly, the players." Baxter writes at the club level, it "took Baird -- with some unwelcome help from the COVID-19 shutdown -- to make people notice." The commissioner "laid a foundation by listening to players and allaying their concerns about COVID-19 protocols, pay and other benefits." Still, five of the "brightest stars" on the world champion USWNT "left the NWSL" for the FA Women's Super League. Baird: "We had some successes this year and they all bode well for the future. But we still have challenges ahead of us" (L.A. TIMES, 10/27).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

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